Ratchet mechanism for wrenches



May 16, 1950 .w\ "I Willi \l Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ratchet mechanism forwrenches.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a ratchet wrench having two methods of operation,namely, means or rapidly adjusting the nut or screw through its freelymovable stage without rotating the wrench and a ratchet action of thetype 'in-whi'ch the wrench is actuated in the regular manner.

Second, to provide a reversible ratchet Wrench embodying means forrapidly running up the nut or screw for final setting and the reverseaction.

Third, to provide a wrench structure embodying these features Wh-ichisquite compact and is strong and durable.

Fourth, to providea reversible ratchetwrench which is very convenienttoreverse andto operate.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention willdefinitely appear from the description to follow. The invention isdefined in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of the invention is clearlyillustrated-in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan viewof a wrench embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a View mainly in. longitudinal section online 2'--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the handle removed and the top plate orchamber cover removed.

Fig. i is a fragmentary view mainly in section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2showing details of. the holding ratchet and coasting dogs.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a chambered bodyportion I having a side opening 2 facilitating the insertion and removalof parts, the opening being'provided with a closure plate Ii-secured bymeans of the screws 4. The handle 5 is tubular or" hollow and hasthreaded engagement with the body portion as shown at 6. The spindle isjournaled in the front Wall 8 of the body portion and in the plate 3,the spindle having a tang 9 adapted to engage a socket or other tooldriven by the wrench. The spindle is provided with a toothed holdingratchet wheel Hi and with a pair of driving ratchet wheels H and 52. Allthree of these parts are keyed or fixed to the spindle, the keys orsplines not being illustrated.

I provide a pair of holding dogs I? which are pivotally supported at Itin a wall of the recess l5 receiving the holding ratchet wheel and thesedogs. The dogs are urged into engagement with the holding ratchet bymeans of the springs l6 seated inthe wall of the recess. It willbenotedthat one dog is associated with the holding ratchet wheel to holdthe spindle against rotation in one direction and the other to hold thespindleag'ainst rotation in the opposite direction, the dogs ratchetingover the teeth of the ratchet as the holding ratchet wheel is'actu'ated.

I provide a pair of drivingpawls I'iof the rack type, one driving pawlcoac'ting with one of the driving-ratchet Wheels: and theother pawlcoacting with the other driving ratchet wheel. These actuating-"pawlsare'driven fr'om a common actuating member l8 Whichis in the form ofa'rack reciprocatingly mounted in the stem portion IQ of the body memberof the wrench. The'stern portion I9 is provided with a stepped bore 29to receive: this member.

The coiled spring 2| is arranged on the stem 22 of the rack. in thrustengagement with the Washer 23 seated against the shoulder 24' andengaging the washer 25 on the stem-, this acting to-returnthe'actuating. member. The pawlsi'l are pivote'd at 26 to this raclzactuating member and. are urged to engaging position bythe. spring 2-?"extending between the pawls. Thespring 21 acts to bias both pawls torat'ch'et' wheelerigagi-ng position. The IeV'erIZBIis pivoted at 29between the" ears 30' extendingirom the Wrench body, the lever'bei-ng.provided with a toothed segment 3i coactingwiththe rack. The lever isposi tioned to be grasped and actuated by the hand of. the operatorgrasping the 'wrench, and'is' positinned. to beiconveniently engaged" bythe index finger of the user grasping the wrench and holdingitinengagement'with the work.

Means arezprovided for selectively holding one of the pawls-sand one: ofthe: holding dogs out of operative positionwhileuthe other pawl and dogare in operative position. The-means illustrated consistsof thecams 32'and 33which are'p'rovidedlwithac'ommon' pivot I33 engaging the frontwall of thewrench andtthe closure plate thereof as shown in Fig. 2. Thecam is adapted to hold one of the pawls and one of the locking dogs ininoperative position as shown in Fig. 3. For convenience in manipulationthe pivot I33 is provided with an arm 34 on the outer side of theclosure plate 3, the arm having a finger piece 35.

With the parts thus arranged the work such as a nut or screw may berapidly turned up through its easily turned movement to setting positionafter which the wrench is manipulated by means of the handle to firmlyset the work. The reverse action may be had when the parts of the wrenchare in reversing position, the work being loosened by means of thelever. The pawls are effective for both manipulations.

I have illustrated and described the invention in a highly practicalembodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe otherembodiments and adaptations which I contemplate as it is believed thisdisclosure will enable those skilled in the art to adapt the inventionas may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with ahandle, a spindle dis- .posed transversely of the handle and providedwith a holding ratchet wheel and a pair of driving ratchet wheels, saidwheels being fixed to said spindle, a pair of spring biased holding dogsoperatively associated with the holding ratchet wheel with one acting tohold the spindle against rotation in one direction and the other againstrotation in the opposite direction, an actuating rack reciprocatinglymounted within said body and provided with a return spring, a pivotedactuating lever positioned to be actuated with the hand supporting thewrench and provided with a segment coacting with said actuating rack,the return spring of the rack acting to return the lever to its initialposition, a rack pawl for each driving ratchet wheel pivotally mountedon said actuating rack, the pawls engaging their respective coactingratchet wheels on opposite sides of their axis, a spring common to bothof said pawls for urging them into engaging position, and cams mountedbetween said rack pawls and holding dogs adapted to selectively hold onerack pawl and one dog in inoperative position while permitting the otherrack pawl and other dog to coact with said ratchet wheels, said camsbeing provided with a finger-piece on the outside of the wrench body.

2. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with ahandle, a spindle disposed transversely of the body and provided with apair of driving ratchet wheels, a pair of holding dogs operativelyassociated with the spindle with one acting to hold the spindle againstrotation in one direction and the other against rotation in the oppositedirection, an actuating rack reciprocatingly mounted within said bodyand provided with a return spring, a pivoted actuating lever positionedto be actuated with the hand supporting the wrench and provided with asegment coacting with said actuating rack, a rack pawl for each drivingratchet wheel pivotally mounted on said actuating rack, the pawls beingspring biased and engaging their respective coacting ratchet wheels onopposite sides of their axis, and means for holding one of said pawlsand one of said locking dogs in inoperative position while permittingthe other to coact with its ratchet wheel and said spindle respectively.

3. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with ahandle, a spindle disposed transversely of the body and provided with aholding ratchet wheel and a pair of driving ratchet wheels, springbiased holding dogs operatively associated with said holding ratchetwheel, an actuating member, an actuating means operatively associatedwith said member and positioned to be actuated from within the body, arack pawl for each of said driving ratchet wheels operatively connectedwith said actuating member, and means for selectively holding one ofsaid rack pawls and locking dogs in inoperative position while the otherof said pawls and dogs are in operative position.

4. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with ahandle, a spindle, a pair of oppositely acting rack and ratchet meansfor rotatably driving said spindle in opposite directions, common meansfor actuating said rack and ratchet means comprising a reciprocatinglymounted rack member provided with a return spring and an actuating leverprovided with a segment coacting with said rack member, the lever beingpositioned to be actuated with the hand supporting the wrench, a pair ofoppositely acting holding dogs for said spindle each acting to hold thespindle against rotation in one direction while permitting rotation inthe opposite direction, and means for adjusting said racks and lockingdogs to hold a selected one of each of said racks and dogs ininoperative position.

5. In a wrench, the combination of a chambered body provided with ahandle, a spindle, a pair of pawl and ratchet means for driving saidspindle in opposite directions, a pair of oppositely acting holding dogsfor said spindle each acting to hold the spindle against rotation in onedirection while permitting rotation in the opposite direction, pawlactuating member operatively associated with both of the .pawls of saidpawl and ratchet means, means for actuating said actuating memberindependently of the oscillation of the wrench by its handle. and meansfor adjusting said ratchet pawls and holding dogs to selectively holdone of each of said pawls and dogs in inoperative position.

EDWIN R. SAGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,489,645 Mendenhall Apr. 8, 19241,563,883 Waters Dec. 1, 1925 1,903,514 Merrman et a1 Apr. 11, 19331,913,669 Heald June 13, 1933

